November 7, 2013 - Don Schenzel (left), owner of Don’s Speed Shop in Southaven, gets a helping hand from long-time friend and fellow car enthusiast Skip Clifton. Schenzel says his old cars he restores as a hobby are not eyesores; but he wants to work with the city and plans to eventually build a car museum, until then he plans to put in a fence and move cars to the back of his shop. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal)

November 7, 2013 - Don Schenzel (left) and fellow car enthusiast Skip Clifton talk shop at Don’s Speed Shop in Southaven. After receiving a letter from the city Schenzel plans to put in a fence and move his cars he works on as a hobby to the back of his shop. (Stan Carroll/The Commercial Appeal)

When he was growing up, Don Schenzel would make the trek to the Indianapolis 500 with his father every year.

Closer to home in Memphis, they would go to hot rod and drag races nearly every weekend.

"My father died when I was 9, and he was a hot rodder and it is in my blood," said Schenzel.

At 52, that passion has not dimmed.

For the last 10 years, Schenzel has owned Don's Speed Shop — a place where he brings dying cars back to life.

The shop on the corner of U.S. 51 and State Line Road in Southaven is not one of the growing car restoration businesses that have gained popularity with television shows like the Discovery Channel's "Fast N Loud."

Don's Speed Shop is just for Don. He is living out his boyhood dream of having a place where he can restore classic cars at his own pace for his ever increasing collection that to date numbers 70 vintage cars.

Recently, some of the cars sitting outside of his shop landed him in some trouble with the city.

Schenzel was told by officials to clean up some of the cars in various states of repair on his lot.

At last month's Board of Aldermen meeting, Schenzel attended to explain his shop to officials.

"I am not a repair shop or a garage," Schnezl explained. "I restore cars for me."

City officials told him to put some of the cars behind a fence to comply with city ordinances, and Schenzel has complied.

Officials plan to work with him and other businesses as the city puts together a plan to revitalize U.S. 51 — the original corridor into the city.

Ward 1 Alderman Kristian Kelly, whose district includes the area, said he is glad that Schenzel and several others are on board with the city's vision for the area.

"Basically what we want is when people come into the city and drive through the area we want them to be wowed," Kelly said. "We sent Mr. Schenzel the first letter because his shop is right at the intersection, which is the gateway to the city."

As the city moves forward with its plans to make this older section of the city like new, Schenzel continues to do the same with the cars at his shop.

The shop is a hodgepodge of car history. There are restored cars built for speed like the 1960s dragster that Schenzel and his 24-year-old son, Trey, often race.

There's the 1955 DeSoto like the one his parents owned when they got married and most recently he received a rare gift from the car gods — a 1932 Plymouthh PB Roadster.

"There are only 12 of them left in the world," Schenzel said. "This gentlemen from Memphis came out and wanted some work done on it. I told him I didn't do any work for the public. He told me that the car was drag raced on the West Coast and in 1953 was featured in Rod and Custom magazine. I told him I would do the work for free just because of the history."

When he finished the work, Schenzel said the car's owner handed him the title.

"This gentlemen said he had been looking for the right home for the car and he found it at my shop," Schenzel said.

He said he often gets visitors at the shop, which is filled with old gas station signs, gas pumps and other car memorabilia that he also collects.

He is happy to give tours of his shop less than a mile from the Southaven home that he shares with his wife Denise and their 15-year-old daughter, Nikki.

"I used to work out of my home about 10 years ago until the city told me I couldn't do it any longer, so I leased and then I brought this building," he said. "I own it and I don't have many bills, so I get to live out my dreams all day, every day."

He studied architecture for three years at the University of Southern Mississippi, but Schenzel said he never graduated because he knew that he would rather spend his time building cars instead of buildings.

But one day soon, that may change. He said he and his son plan to turn the shop into a car museum.

"A car museum along U.S. 51 would definitely help revitalize this area," he said.